Action Taken using the ‘The Black Magic Prohibition’ Ordinance

Within a week after the vicious assassination of Dr. Dabholkar, the Governor of Maharashtra signed the ‘the black magic prohibition’ ordinance. It came into force from 26th August 2013 all over Maharashtra. The first crime under this ordinance was reported and registered in less than a week in Nanded; and two Muslim individuals were indicted. This was a slap in the face of those who were maliciously canvassing that the anti-black magic law is meant only for Hindus and people of other religions can merrily go around with their business disregarding the ordinance. The earlier criminal cases registered under the then prevailing act also show that the law was applied to criminals belonging to all religions. 12 cases were registered so far, out of which two were against Muslims and one against a Buddhist. The culprits involved in these crimes however come also from other states -Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajsthan.

The first crime was registered from Bhagyanagar, in Nanded Police Station. Two Mantriks (individuals casting spells) one Sahilkhan Liyakat from Fareli (Gaziabad district) and the other Amiroddin Abdul Latif from Sarafa Gate (Merath District) residing in Nanded in a hotel, advertised in news papers that they can treat incurable diseases with their supernatural powers. People started approaching them and were treated. Police raided their hotel room and arrested both of them, confiscating all the things they used for their black magic.

The second incident is from the Nashik Road Police Station. Some Buddhists, Sangeeta, Sunita, Ritesh and Vijay from the Bhalerao family of Nashik road, wanted that their sick father get cured and pass on his Mantra Vidya to them. For that purpose they had prepared to sacrifice a human being. They dug up a big pit in the floor of their house. Children were put in that pit and while all the appeasement rituals were going on; police raided the house and arrested all of them. All of them confessed to the crime they were committing.

The third incident took place in Kavathe Mahankal of Sangli District. Kondiba Maharaj of Shirur from Athani Taluka in Karanataka was treating patients suffering from possession by ghosts. Under the pretext of curing the afflicted patients, he used to heap all sorts of atrocities on them. For the last two years he used to visit a place called Ranjani. When he was accused under the anti-black magic act he escaped to Karnataka. The Karnataka Government too is keen to introduce anti-black magic law. When the law is passed there too, it will be easy for the Maharashtra police to arrest those criminal who abscond to Karnataka.

Kailas Nichal, alias Ichchadhari Maharaj from Akola was exposed by the Sambhaji Brigade and handed over to police. He used to pretend to possess supernatural powers and bully and cheat people. The police from Akotfail prosecuted him under section 5.

Ashpak Khan of Malegaon of Nashik District cheated a woman from Amalner, District Jalgaon, promising her a rainfall of money and extracting 3 lakh rupees. He also exploited her sexually. However since the money did not multiply, he pretended that he will have to perform some dire rite on her girl child and molested the child too. The Malegaon police have taken action against him under the provision of this act.

Another imposter, Ramesh Sapkal from Suradi, (Taluka Govarai, District Beed) was indulging in atrocious treatment for relieving victims from “seizures by Ghosts.” Shivaji Dahiphode, Assistant Police Inspector of Govrai Police Station personally arrested and prosecuted this imposter.

A young man, Jitesh Suresh Ghose, from Nirmal (Vasai Taluka, Thane District) was believed to have been possessed by the ghost of his diseased father. In order to relieve Jitesh from his father’s ghost, a woman named Darshana Jadhav burned his tongue and several other spots on his body with a red hot sickle and put a burning piece of camphor on his body. ‘Nirmal Vikas Mahila Mandal’, a local women’s association for development of Nirmal, exposed the atrocious doings of this woman and the police launched a complaint against her. The accused woman however has absconded. Meanwhile Jitesh is not able to eat his normal food all these days because of the injuries caused to his tongue.

Two more charlatans, Sunil and Sanjay, sons of Sambhaji Jorkar, of Jat (district Sangli) were swindling gullible people promising them of multiplying their money. They scared them pretending to summon ghosts with Mantras. They also treated people for their ailments with atrocious rites and rituals. The Miraj District Police Officer arrested them under the new Anti Black Magic ordinance.

At Nargaon Arer, (Brahmapuri Taluka, Chandrapur District), an innocent man Mahadev Bhagadkar, who was suspected of being a black-magician, was murdered ruthlessly on 13th October 2013. The killer Atish Javatale is arrested under the new ordinance by Police Officer of Brahmapuri.

In addition to the two crimes registered under this act in Nashik in this week, two more such crimes have been brought to light. One Hariom Baba alias Dilip Jamuna Prasad Tiwari, of Sakharkhedi, District Buladhana, had set up an Ashram at Devala. He claimed to perform miracles and ravished women. He also claimed to possess supernatural power to multiply people’s money. One woman has accused him of defrauding her of 18 lakh rupees and a disciple of his has complained that this guru has whisked his wife away from him. This Baba was involved in cases of murder earlier and is now absconding. The Police Inspector Pravin Padwal is personally investigating this case and has deployed two police squads to trace the absconding Baba.

Two frauds from Rajasthan, Bangadiwale Baba and Jangli Baba, threatened Kashinath Kasbe and Sanjay Kasbe of Wadgaon, Nashik District, that if they did not find out the ‘secret wealth’ hidden underground, they will have to face divine wrath. These Babas defrauded them of three lakh rupees. One young boy who was carrying out the rituals lost his mental balance and is now admitted in a mental hospital. The assistants of these Bhondu Babas have been arrested by the Nashik Taluka Police and the sketches of the two Babas have been published.

People from other states come to Maharashtra and start their fraudulent operations under false names. They advertise themselves making loud, unbelievable claims. Gullible people are attracted by these claims and get cheated. The Railway Administration has banned displaying these advertisements on places or properties belonging to the Railways. Yet one such advertisement was displayed in a State Transport Bus; a young girl from Nagpur noticed it and contacted the concerned Bangali Baba for treatment of her ailment by him. She paid the Baba regularly adding up to a sum of 80,000 Rupees. Afterwards the Baba asked her to meet him personally. On meeting him the Baba assaulted her sexually. The young girl has launched a complaint against this Baba in Nagpur under the anti black Magic ordinance.

In addition to these 12 cases, more crimes are registered under the ordinance. The case of Nikhil Jankar, a child killed on the new moon day of Diwali is being investigated. Police suspect that the child was killed by a childless person to appease a deity by human sacrifice. Two other killings- one from Igatpuri Taluka of Nashik and the other from Neral in New Mumbai where a person was killed during treatment by Black Magic rites have been recorded and the police are considering the possibility of registering these incidents under the anti Black Magic Ordinance.

After this article was written during the past two and a half years more than 250 cases have been registered in Maharashtra out of which during the past year three convictions have been awarded by different Courts in Maharashtra